The lab, located in the low-income neighborhood of Roxbury, was originally intended for research on biological weapons, that is, synthetic infectious diseases even more virulent than their already-dangerous natural strains. BU has finished construction on the lab, but thanks to a lawsuit by activists cannot open it without a risk assessment that has been approved by the National Institutes of Health. After four failed attempts at a suitable risk assessment they BU has decided to open the lab with a maximum safety level of of BSL-3, one notch lower than the BSL-4 rating required for bio-weapons research. (http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/213486/index.php)

However, BSL-3 level research would still include highly contagious infectious diseases, and take place in an area that is virtually impossible to evacuate quickly in case of an accidental release of pathogens. The Stop the Biolab Coalition is continuing to resist BU's attempts to impose the lab on the local community.